by Jen Calonita
Her aunt was too smart for her. She saw the folded page in the catalog for the black-and-white floral room that Izzie secretly loved, and two days later it was delivered. Izzie had a new bed with built-in bookshelves, a desk, a black-and-white floral comforter, curtains, and a black-and-white polka-dot area rug. I hired a painter to paint your room next Thursday to match the one in the catalog! said a note on her bed. It all still felt like a dream. She had such mixed emotions, though, and she missed Grams so much. She missed her mom, too. Seeing the new bed only reminded her more of the old one. The paint had peeled so badly her mom used to tell her it was because her bed was made from a washed-up pirate ship. For years Izzie had thought she might find treasure buried inside.
“Isabelle?” Her aunt knocked on the door, even though it was slightly ajar. She was wearing an incredible cream silk dress and four-inch pointy heels. Her hair was swept into a bun and her makeup looked professionally done. In her hands, she held two small velvet boxes. “Can I come in?”
“Of course,” Izzie said.
“So you like your room?” her aunt asked hopefully.
“I love it,” Izzie admitted, looking around again. “Thank you so much.”
“You don’t have to thank me, sweetie. This room is you.” Aunt Maureen looked at her appraisingly. “And so is that dress. I’m glad you picked that one. So reasonably priced, too, and the dry cleaner did wonders with that lipstick stain. You can’t even tell there was one!” She thumbed the fabric.
Her aunt tried so hard, Izzie thought. “It worked like a charm at the Harborside Army/Navy Store.”
Her aunt’s eyes lit up. “Do you know that place? My Emerald Cove Cares group is partnering with them for a fund-raiser for their community center. They have practically nothing in the way of an arts program, so we’re trying to get one off the ground. The whole place is falling apart. They’ve been holding dance classes with a boom box! Can you imagine?” She shook her head, her chandelier diamond earrings swaying. “We’re going to do a fashion show next month, something mother-daughter again, maybe to raise funds for a sound system and art classes. I was hoping to get a floral arrangement class there, too. Knowing how to pair a peony with a sunflower is a definite skill,” she said, and Izzie bit her lip.
“You might be wasting your money on that one,” Izzie said delicately. “A gymnastics program, on the other hand, would be awesome. We’ve wanted one forever, but there’s no money to buy equipment.” She felt herself growing excited at the thought of the community center getting a room makeover of sorts, too. “Art classes are big. If you could get someone to do a class on tagging in murals so people don’t do that on fence posts, that would be huge. The boom box works fine for dance class, but what the community center really needs is more teachers. If they had a hip-hop class, do you know how many kids would sign up? There are a ton of kids who want to be there. There just aren’t enough programs to go around.”
Her aunt looked pale as she slid her tennis bracelet back and forth on her wrist. “I… you… I didn’t know that was your community center.”
“Only one around. It’s not really falling down,” Izzie added. “It could use a face-lift, but, hey, at least it’s still open. The state keeps trying to shut it down due to lack of funding. If it wasn’t for that place, I certainly wouldn’t have learned how to swim.” That gave her an idea. “If you’re doing a fund-raiser, I could help. If you want.”
Her aunt still looked rattled, but she managed a small smile. “I’d like that. You almost made me forget why I came in here. These are for you.” She patted the boxes on her lap. “I thought your dress might need some accessories, and this Swarovski crystal cuff bracelet and necklace might do the trick. I also brought some earrings.” She frowned. “Do you have pierced ears?” Izzie held back her hair and revealed double holes and one near the top of her earlobe. “Oh, I only bought one pair, but…” She took Izzie’s wavy hair in her hands and pulled it off her face. “They’ll work. How do you feel about pulling your hair off your face?”
A half hour later, Izzie felt like a pincushion. By the time her aunt was done with her hair and makeup, even her own reflection didn’t recognize her. Izzie felt herself grow hopeful. Tonight is going to be different, she thought. If people at the party hadn’t been told she was Bill Monroe’s orphaned niece, they’d never know she didn’t belong there.
Her aunt stood behind her and smiled approvingly. “I think you’re ready for your first Emerald Cove party.”
Eleven
As the town car inched toward the boathouse valet, Mira got goose bumps. She was a sucker for parties and the first one of the season was always a good time. The boathouse was the perfect venue. It overlooked the bay, which meant there was a chance of catching a perfect sunset, and her mom’s charity group had made sure every detail not under Mother Nature’s control was set to wow. Catering trucks had been on-site for days, floral arrangements sprouted out of every planter, the valet was jammed with attendants, and there was an orchestra and a DJ. Mira watched as beautifully dressed couples and classmates emerged from town cars ahead of hers (no one drove themselves to these things).
Tonight had all the makings of a perfect evening, and it hadn’t even started yet. She didn’t have to babysit Connor because he was too young to attend, her mom and dad would be unofficially campaigning, and Hayden was working with her dad. All she had to do was figure out what to do with Izzie. She glanced at her cousin across the seat. Izzie looked like she wanted to throw up, but she had total wow factor going for her in that dress. Mira had to primp for hours to look this good. She’d gone for a spray tan before slipping into the gray cocktail dress and strappy gladiator heels. Her hair had been pinched in curlers for hours to look this bouncy.
“I can’t wait to get in there,” Mira said as their car inched closer. She checked her phone for the tenth time looking for a text from Taylor or Savannah. They always texted each other when they arrived so they could go in together. So far her phone was silent. “I heard they got DJ Backslide and he’s booked a year in advance! I wonder how they pulled that off.”
“Dad.” Hayden looked back from the front passenger seat. He had on a navy suit and his blond hair was slicked back like he was in The Great Gatsby. “The organizers couldn’t find anyone major, so Dad called in a favor. He knows Back-slide’s dad.”
“I’m just thankful DJ what’s-his-name is for you kids and we have an orchestra.” Mira’s mom checked her lipstick in a mirror. “The DJs are so loud. I can barely hear myself think.”
“Wait. We’re not going to the same party?” Izzie tugged on one of her dangling crystal earrings. Her top two piercings had her usual sterling-silver studs in them.
“The EC party circuit strays from the norm,” Hayden explained. “The parents here don’t like to mingle with anyone under the age of twenty-one, so sometimes they have two bashes going at once. We have the DJ, and Mom and Dad have an orchestra and casino gambling.”
“It’s not that we don’t want to mingle with you,” their mom said hastily, mostly for Izzie’s benefit. “We just know, from experience, that you kids enjoy a different atmosphere than we do.”
“Keep telling yourself that, Mom.” Hayden winked at Izzie.
“This kickoff event is very important to your father,” their mom reminded them. She smoothed out the skirt of her dress again and said to Izzie, “He wants to keep his name out there as much as possible before the primaries, and he’s been working overtime to make sure this preparty is a huge success. He’s on the charity board of directors for the regatta.”
“There’s more than one party for a boat race?” Izzie looked more confused than ever.
“There are two,” Mira counted. “Well, three, but no goes to the actual race.”
“You don’t go to the race,” Hayden corrected her. “The rest of us like to see the event that we’re having a party for in the first place.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” Mira said indignantly.
>
“Are you okay, Isabelle?” Mira’s mom asked, placing her hand on Izzie’s.
Izzie nodded and stared out the car window.
Mira’s mom looked concerned and shot Mira a look. “You’re going to have a fabulous time. All of Mira’s friends are going to be here. They’ll make sure you have a lot of fun tonight.”
Did her mom really expect her to babysit Izzie? She was looking forward to some alone time with Taylor. The few times she’d seen him this week were with the team. Tonight she wanted to slow-dance and hang out on the boathouse dock like they did at last year’s party, which is where they had their first kiss.
When the car stopped at the valet stand and an attendant opened the passenger door, Mira emerged first. The driveway was mobbed with attendants wearing headsets and pointing people to the right party. The boathouse was directly ahead of her and she could see people already dancing inside through the floor-to-ceiling windows. To her right was her parents’ party. Three white tents housed an orchestra and women in floor-length gowns noshing on appetizers.
“You’re right on time, just how I like it.” Mira heard her dad’s voice, and turned in time for him to give her a kiss on the cheek. A photographer crouched low and took a picture as Lucas stood nearby. “Great dress, Pea.” Her dad was wearing a gray suit and a red tie with tiny boats on it—the official tie of this year’s regatta. “Have fun in there, okay? But not too much fun. We need to set an example.”
Mira sighed. Why was she the only one he said these things to? “I know, Dad.” She scanned the crowd for Taylor and Savannah.
“And keep an eye on Isabelle, okay?” he added with a whisper. “Your mother thinks she’s gun-shy after all the press, but she seems okay to me, no?” Mira didn’t answer him. “Either way, this is her first event with our family, and your mother and I want it to go well.”
“It’s going to be fine,” Mira assured him. She wished Hayden was on Izzie duty. His friends didn’t seem to care about Izzie’s background, while it was obvious Mira’s crowd did.
Izzie was the last one out of the car, and Mira’s dad held out his hand to help her. “You look lovely, Isabelle,” he said, his voice sort of hoarse.
“Thanks,” she said shyly.
Lucas handed her father a clear box, which he gave to Izzie. “I got this for you to wear tonight.” He opened it up, and Mira saw it was a pink rose corsage. Her dad hadn’t bought her one of those since the sixth-grade dance, when she’d insisted he stop buying them. They were so tacky, but she watched Izzie’s face light up. “It is your first official party in town and your first with us, and I thought you might like some flowers. But you don’t have to wear it if you don’t want to,” he added hastily. Mira wasn’t used to hearing her dad sound so unsure of himself.
“I like it.” Izzie delicately lifted the corsage out of the box and slid it on her wrist. Mira noticed the rose actually looked kind of cool, like a giant cuff. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.” He patted her awkwardly on the shoulder. “You kids have fun,” he added as Lucas nudged him along. “I’ll text you when Lucas is ready for our family photo.”
“I’m just going to walk them in first, Dad,” Hayden said, linking arms with both girls.
“Why? Where are you sneaking off to afterward?” Izzie asked.
He frowned. “No one told you? I have to man the regatta info booth at the adults’ party.” Hayden smiled as a photographer took a picture of the three of them. Izzie winced. “Mira is going to stick to you like glue, aren’t you, Mira?”
But Mira was only half listening. She had spotted Kellen a few yards away talking to her new art teacher and she couldn’t stop staring at him. He looked really good in a tan suit and she couldn’t help but notice how his blond hair swayed as he threw back his head and laughed at something the teacher said. Mira unwound her arm from Hayden’s. “You can get Izzie settled, can’t you, Hayden? I’ll meet her inside!”
She didn’t wait for an answer. She felt like a magnet being pulled toward Kellen. By the time she reached him, the teacher had disappeared. Kellen saw her and smiled. “Well, if it isn’t my favorite art thief.”
“What are you doing here? Preparing a heist of your own?” His face clouded slightly. “I’m kidding,” she added. He was obviously the sensitive type. “I’ve been looking for you.” She instantly regretted saying that, especially when he grinned coyly.
“Can’t stop thinking of me, huh? I get that a lot.”
Her face burned. “I meant in the art studio. I, uh, found some free time and I’m going to be starting painting and sculpting next week.”
His eyebrows rose slightly. “Is that a fact? Maybe now your work won’t be so sloppy.” She gave him a nasty look. “So what periods do you have painting and sculpting?”
“Fourth and sixth,” she said. Her phone vibrated in her bag, but she ignored it.
Kellen grinned. “Sounds like you can stop stalking me, then. That’s when I have those, too.”
“You don’t say.” Mira tried not to sound excited.
“Mr. Capozo is a tough grader,” Kellan warned her. “I hope you’re ready to face the fire.”
“Oh, I’m ready,” Mira challenged him. “Are you? Because I don’t recall seeing you in the art studio this week at all.”
He rolled his neck. “Sorry, I do warm-ups of another kind. I like to study the masters—Allan Houser, Frederic Remington, Bufano.”
“Bufano?” She was impressed that the famous sculptors’ names rolled off his tongue so easily. She knew of Michelangelo, of course, but the ones Kellen mentioned she knew only from research she had done to prove to her guidance counselor that she should be in that sculpting class.
“They have some of their pieces at the Gem Museum,” Kellen said. Mira knew that. The museum was one of her favorites. “I go there all the time just to chill out. This week I took the kid I’m mentoring for a pottery painting class. They do all these kids programs there.”
“I didn’t know that,” Mira said. “I have a six-year-old brother who would love that.”
“You should come one time,” Kellen said, leaning against the building. “The boy I mentor is seven. They’d probably get along better than we do.” He grinned.
Mira was trying to think of a comeback of her own when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Taylor spun her around and kissed her, wrapping his arms around her waist. She felt her whole body stiffen, and she pulled away without thinking.
“I’ve been looking for you everywhere,” Taylor said. He looked gorgeous in a pale blue dress shirt, a navy tie, and navy pants. “Didn’t you get my text?” He looked at Kellen and held out his hand. “Hey, man, I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Mira’s boyfriend, Taylor.”
“Kellen,” he said. If the boyfriend comment bothered him, he didn’t show it. But it bothered Mira. She felt like Taylor was staking his claim. Shouldn’t she find that sweet?
“How do you two know each other?” Taylor asked, and Mira froze. She couldn’t let Kellen tell him about art class. She would be mortified.
“School,” Mira blurted out, her voice sort of squeaky. Both boys looked at her strangely. “Kellen is a junior. We met in the guidance office, right? I, uh, had a question about my public speaking class.”
“Right.” Kellen’s mouth twitched slightly.
“Cool.” Taylor nodded and slipped his hand in hers. “We should go, babe. Everyone is waiting for us. See you inside,” he said to Kellen as he pulled Mira away. She turned around and mouthed “sorry.” Kellen shook his head.
Taylor didn’t question her about Kellen as they headed inside, so Mira started to relax again. The party was incredible. Girls from her social studies class were clustered in a circle on the dance floor, and people were eating dinner at tables decorated with cupcake towers that had sugar crew boats on them. Real boats hung from the ceiling like piñatas, and official regatta posters, which you could purchase as part of the fund-raiser, hung around the room on canvases. Mira couldn
’t wait to get on the dance floor. First they had to find a table where they could put their stuff. She headed toward an empty one, but Taylor kept walking.
“Let’s take this one,” Mira yelled over the music. She could already tell Backslide rocked. The two songs he’d played since they’d arrived were ones she loved. She looked at him rocking out in his DJ booth. Backslide had short, spiky black hair and was tall and wiry, but he couldn’t have been much older than she was.
“The guys are waiting for us out back,” he yelled. Taylor sighed when he saw her reaction. “Let me guess—you don’t want to hang with the team.”
“I didn’t say that,” Mira had to shout to be heard. Riley Danford walked by arm-in-arm with the team’s second-string quarterback looking like she’d just won the lottery.
“It’s written all over your face,” Taylor said loudly. They sounded like they were arguing, but they weren’t. Were they? “I thought we’ve been over this, Mira. It’s football season and I’m part of a team. We hang together, on the field and off.”
He sounded like he was reading off one of those cheesy motivational posters, which usually pictured a skier or a cat hanging from a tree. She looked away, refusing to yell over the next song to explain herself. This wasn’t the place.
“You used to be supportive, but you haven’t been to one practice yet,” he reminded her. “I want my lucky charm back.”
Taylor always called her that. Since they started dating, every game Mira attended, either Taylor scored a touch-down or the team won. The few times she couldn’t make it last season—usually because of something going on with her dad’s office—the team lost. Call it superstition, but Taylor had gotten hooked on Mira being his shadow. She loved that he wanted her there, but it was nice having her own time, too. With her mom keeping her on Izzie duty, she had been neglecting him completely. Now she felt bad.